Estonia to sign Eesti.ai training contracts, with trainer pay tied to participant feedback
Estonia's Government Office is beginning to sign contracts under the five-million-euro Eesti.ai procurement, in which trainers will only receive full payment if participant feedback meets set thresholds.
Estonia's Government Office is starting to sign contracts on Tuesday with providers selected through a procurement for artificial intelligence training under the Eesti.ai initiative. A total of 46 bids were submitted for the tender.
Launched in January, Eesti.ai aims to boost Estonia's economy through wider use of artificial intelligence. The procurement has an expected value of five million euros, though this figure is not pre-allocated among providers and does not obligate the state to order services worth the full amount — orders will be placed according to actual need.
The initiative's goal is for at least 100,000 working-age Estonian residents to take part in at least one Eesti.ai workshop or learning session during 2026–2027. The procurement is split into four parts, covering in-person training, online training, and larger events.
Experience requirements
Each provider must involve at least two trainers who meet set criteria: within the 36 months before the procurement began, each must have conducted at least five AI-themed trainings for adults lasting at least four academic hours, or at least two such trainings lasting a minimum of 20 academic hours. Teams must also include a project manager with experience managing at least two similar events involving at least one hundred participants combined.
Payment tied to feedback scores
Katrin Isotamm, head of the Eesti.ai population track, said the procurement conditions were designed to be accessible to as broad a range of experienced providers as possible. She noted that participants' own assessments play an important role in ensuring quality.
Providers will receive the full contract price only if at least 75 percent of participants give feedback and the average score is at least 4 points. If feedback comes from 50 to 74.9 percent of participants with an average score between 3.5 and 4, only half the fee is paid. If fewer than 50 percent of participants respond, or the average score falls below 3.5, no payment is made at all.
